Breastplate stripping device for grain-binders.



v PATENTED JUNE 30, 1903. E. A-. JOHNSTON. v BREASTPLATE STRIPPINGDEVICE FOR GRAIN BINDERS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26, 1902. no'uonnL.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

MTEEEEE I PATBNTED JUNE 30, 1903.

' E. A. JOHNSTON; BREASTPLATE STRIPPING DEVICE FOR GRAIN BINDERS.

' APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 25, 19.02.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H0 MODEL.

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- knotter-jaws.

U ITED STATES Patented June 30, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD A. JOHNSTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO INTERNA- TIONALHARVESTER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION- OF NEW JERSEY.

BREASTPLATE STRIPPING DEVICE FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

;;PECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7 32,355, dated June30, 1903.

Application filed September 25, 1902. Serial No. 124,828. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. JOHNSTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-j vices forGrain-Binders and I do hereby de-,

clare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to the knotting mechanisms of self-bindingharvesters, and has for its object to provide a device that willfacilitate stripping the loop from the jaws of the knotter when the knothas been completed.

As herein illustrated, the invention is employed in connection with thatclass of knotters which make but a single revolution to complete theknot and come to rest with their jaws pointing outward in the generaldirection of the discharge of the bundle and which have the outerportion of the breastplateslot deflected from the plane in which thecord was laid into the general direction of the In this type of knottersa finger projects across the breastplate-slot just inside the knotterand supports the cords un til the knotter in the early stage of theformation of the loop sweeps them over and around the end of the fingerinto the deflected portion of the slot in the breast-plate, and when theloop is stripped from the knotter-jaws the cords drag against the edgeof the slot and being under considerable tension the friction againstthe breastplate interferes with the easy stripping of the loop.

The present invention contemplates the provision of a moving surface,against which the cords rest while the knot is being stripped, therebyobviating the frictional resistance to the stripping operation abovereferred to, and, as herein illustrated, this surface is composed of ascalloped disk, which is seated in a depression in the upper surface ofthe breastplat-e just under the knotter and outside of thecord-supporting finger and which is freely pivoted orjournaled with oneedge overhanging the breastplate-slot, so that the slot.

cords contact with the periphery of the disk instead of with the edge ofthe slot, and the disk being free to turn the outward passage of thecords is greatly facilitated and the stripping of the knot made moreeasy and certain. The disk also serves to hold the two strands of theband which extend between the knotter and the bundle and prevent theholder-strand from stretching so far outward away from the needle-strandas to endanger its being seized and broken by the knotter. It sometimeshappens that this holder-strand slips downinto thelower portion of thebreastplate-slot before the completion of the knot, and in this positionit is liable to be seized and broken by the knotter. It is thereforedesirable to keep the two strands together until the completion of theknot, and this result is effectually secured by the notches of the diskcatching the strands and compelling both to move together.

' The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, WhereinFigure 1 shows a fragment of the breastplate of a binder and illustratesin plan the disk and cord-supporting finger and their relation to eachother and to the breastplate- Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation on line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1, illustrating thefunction of the disk in holding the holder-strand'of the band fromprematurely slipping down into the slot; and Fig. 4 is a view similar toFig. 2,showing the same action of the disk.

Referring to the views, a, denotes the knotter-frame; b, thebreastplate; c, the needleslot, and d the cord-supporting finger. Allthese parts are constructed, positioned, and related in a manner whichis now well understood in the art and need no further description. 1

The knotter-e is of the type heretofore described-namely, having but asingle revolution to complete the knot and standing when at rest withits jaws pointing diagonally downward and outward. It is positioned inthe usual manner with respect to the cord-supporting finger and thebreast.- plate-slot, which latter has its outer portion 0 deflected fromthe line of the main portion into the general direction of theknotter-jaws when at rest.

The stripper, as herein illustrated, consists of a disk f, having ascalloped, notched, or serrated periphery and seated in a circulardepression h in the upper surface of the breastplate at one side of theslot and just outside of the cord-supporting finger.

The diskfis loosely journaled on a pin or stud g, secured to thebreast-plate centrally of the depression h, so that the edge of the diskwill overhang the breast-plate slot and come just in rear of the outeredge of the cord-supporting finger.

The construction being as just described, when the revolution of theknotter sweeps the cords over and around the end of the finger d theycontact with the periphery of the diskf, and this disk being freelyrotatable the further rotation of the knotter and the stripping oftheloop from its jaws cause the disk to turn with the cords instead ofsweeping them along the slot in contact with the edge of thebreastplate. The frictional resistance of the breastplate-slot istherefore eliminated, and as the disk is free to turn on its axis androtates easily the stripping of the knot from the'jaws of the knotter isgreatly facilitated.

As will be understood from Figs. 3 and 4c, the two strands of the bandwhich extend from the knotter through the breastplate-slot around thebundle will lie in the notches of the disk, the two strands lying indifferent notches, as indicated in Fig. 4, or in the same notch. Thiscompels both strands to move together in their further travel throughthe slot of the breastplate and prevents the holder-strand frombeingstretched outwardly away from the strand that goes around the topof the bundle, which premature outward movement, as heretoforeexplained, endangers the safety of the cord by rendering it liable to beseized by the knotter-jaws, so that the band will be broken in anattempt to strip the knot from the knotter when the bundle isdischarged.

Although I have herein illustrated this stripper as composed of ascalloped disk, I do not desire to be limited to such particularconstruction, as any sort of a freely-rotatable device that will presenta moving surface for the supportof the cords during the strippingoperation instead of allowing them to scrape along the edge of thebreastplateslot would be within the spirit and scope of the invention sofar as its function as a stripper is concerned. In so far as to itsaction in holding the holder-strand up in the slot until the knot iscompleted, however, it is of course necessary that the edge of the diskbe formed with some equivalent of the scallops, so as to take hold ofthe two strands and hold them together.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a knotter mechanism for self-binders, the combination witha-slotted breastplate, and a knotter, of a freely-rotating diskjournaled on the breastplate under the knotter with one edge overhangingthe slot, whereby the cord will engage the disk instead of the edge ofthe slot and the stripping of the knot be facilitated.

2. In a knotter mechanism for self-binders, the combination with abreastplate having a deflected slot, and a knotter which stops with thejaws trending outward, of a freely-rotating disk journaled on thebreastplate under the knotter ,with one edge overhanging the slot,whereby the rotation of the disk facilitates the stripping of the knotfrom the jaws.

3. In a knotter mechanism for self-binders, the combination with abreastplate having a cord-supporting finger and a deflected slot, of aknotter which stops with its jaws trending outward, and afreely-rotating scalloped disk journaled on the breastplate under theknotter with its edge in proximity to the outer edge of the finger andoverhanging the deflected portion of the slot, so that after the cordhas been carried around the finger by the knotter, the rotation of thedisk facilitates the passage of the cords outwardly along the slot andthe stripping of the knot from the jaws, and the premature outwardpassage of EDWARD A. JOHNSTON.

Witnesses:

CHAS. N. CHAMBERS, W. M. TWOMBLY.

